Anand Beats Leko 5-3

World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand scored a secure and controlled 5-3 match win over former world championship challenger Peter Leko of Hungary on June 7.  The time control was rapid control and each day from June 3, 4, 6 and 7 saw two games being played. June 5 was a rest day. The venue was Miskolc in Hungary. Anand, 1969-born player from Chennai won games two and five. In the second game he won with the white pieces winning a pawn against the Grunfeld of Leko.

In game five, 1979-born Leko from Szeged in Hungary slipped losing an advanced passed pawn and one extra pawn was enough for Anand to win with black in the rook ending. Interestingly, only one game featured king pawn and it was game eight. The rest of the six games ended in draws. The arbiter for this match was WGM Zsuzsa Veroci, Press Officer of the Hungarian Chess Federation. Anand was accompanied by his wife Aruna Anand and Leko by his wife Sofia Petrosian. The drawing of lots ceremony attracted the Mayor of Miskolc and the Prime Minister of Hungary and it was quite an important event in Hungary. Each year, Leko plays a rapid match at Miskolc.